The present invention is directed to a cover for an animal tank or fish tank and particularly to a retaining clip therefor, allowing the cover to be easily installed over the tank and easily removed therefrom.
In my earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,115, as well as my copending applications, Ser. No. 393,575, filed Aug. 14, 1989, and Ser. No. 205,311, filed June 9, 1988, I have shown covers for animals, each comprising a peripheral frame, the cross section of which comprises a horizontal wall adapted to be positioned over the top of the tank and a vertical skirt wall adapted to fit loosely over the exterior lip of the tank. The frame is provided further with a plurality of retaining clips, certain ones of which depend fixedly from the vertical wall and certain others of which depend removably therefrom. These latter retaining clips are loosely and limitedly movable relative to the vertical wall by passing through an opening in the horizontal wall. The removable retaining clip is provided at its lower end with an inwardly extending shaped flange adpated to engage the outer surface of the tank to act in an opposing biasing relationship to the fixed retaining clips to resiliently secure the cover on the tank. A boss is located adjacent the upper edge of said body which is adapted to engage below the upper surface of the horizontal wall in engagement with the border of said tank. An upper shoulder is located on the rear surface of the body adapted to engage the vertical skirt wall of the frame, and a lower shoulder is provided on the rear surface of the body to engage below the lower edge of the vertical skirt wall of the frame, and an enlarged tab is provided along the lower portion of the front surface of the body. Key means passing through the body adjacent said enlarged tab is provided and is operable to removably engage the face of the tank, causing the body to flex and to secure the bosses and shoulders in engagement with said respective portions of the border and frame.
Further details of the present invention are set forth in the following description as well as in the accompanying drawings.